


it's not my time yet;

by kinneyb



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-01-15 21:18:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 14,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18507271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinneyb/pseuds/kinneyb
Summary: Quentin is dead, but - there's still a chance for him. Now he just has to figure out a way to let his friends know that./a rewrite of the finale (kind of) & s5 divergent fic... enjoy





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> the finale disappointed me in ways i didn't think possible so welcome to my new fic
> 
> ★ please follow me on twitter @ queermight & check out my pinned tweet! ★

Eliot opens his eyes and immediately shuts them again. "Fuck," he groans, and his voice is so rough he almost doesn't recognize it as his own for a minute. "Can someone turn the sun off for a moment?"

He hears a watery laugh, and then suddenly feels arms around his torso. "You fucker," Margo laughs, burying her face in his shoulder. "And it's like midnight; those are called lights, El."

"Bambi," he sighs. It's not easy—he feels weaker than ever before, but he eventually manages to lift his left arm enough to place his hand on the small of her back. "I'm so glad I'm not dead," he says after a lingering moment of silence.

"Me, too," Margo finally pulls away, clearing her throat. "But I swear, you ever do that again and _I'll_ be the one to kill you."

Eliot opens his eyes, just a crack. "Yes, sir," he mumbles, smiling weakly. "So... where, uh—where is everyone?"

"Oh," Margo looks away. "Um."

Eliot knows that look, but suddenly wishes he didn't. "Margo," he says, slowly. He tries to sit up, but he's still weak and falls. Margo is at his side in seconds, helping him up.

"I don't..." Margo clears her throat again, sitting on the edge of the bed gently. "I don't wanna be the one to tell you, El, but... I think—I think that's my duty," she reaches out and takes his hand, "as your best friend."

Eliot licks his lips, intertwining their fingers. "Margo," he stares at her, "what happened?"

"Um... while you were still," she gestures with her free hand, "down for the count, Quentin, Alice, and Penny... had to do something kind of brave, but _stupid_ ," she stresses, "to get rid of the monsters."

Eliot nods slowly, squeezing her hand a little. "Yes... and?"

"Alice is okay," Margo says. She smiles, but Eliot is starting to notice the tears collecting in her eyes and - oh, _that_ can't be a good sign. "And so is Penny, but—but," her bottom lip starts to tremble, "Quentin didn't... make it."

For a minute, the world is silent. Margo's mouth is moving, but Eliot can't hear anything.

Finally, she raises her voice, "Eliot, baby, I am so, so sorry."

He laughs, and Margo tenses up.

"Eliot," she says softly, scooting up the bed to sit beside him. "Are you okay?"

He can't stop laughing, and he doesn't know why. He feels delirious, like this is surely just a nightmare and any minute now he'll wake up and see Margo _and_ Quentin standing over him. Quentin with his dorky smile, and his stupidly endearing stutter and—

"It's gonna be okay," Margo pulls him close, and he goes with it, resting his head against her chest. She runs her fingers through his hair, and repeats, "it's gonna be okay."

/

When he sees the fire, and everyone gathered around it, he's hit with an unexpected and sudden rush of anger, but he has no right to be angry, he knows that, but he is—he's angry at Alice and Penny for leaving Quentin.

At the world for taking the one thing he's ever loved, truly, besides Margo.

But he pushes that anger down, low in the pit of his stomach, and sits beside Alice.

She offers her hand, and he feels a little guilty for blaming her. So he takes it, and she squeezes, and he wonders if she feels empty, broken.

Like him.

Everyone throws stuff in the fire, things that remind them of Quentin or once belonged to him. Eventually, it's Eliot's turn and he hesitates. He can feel the peach in his coat pocket. Swallowing around the lump in his throat, he slowly pulls the peach out and lifts it to his face. He thinks back to the moment Quentin had asked him;

_"why the fuck not?"_

The anger is back, hot in his stomach. He takes a shaky breath, and tosses the peach in the fire. He had been so scared of ruining one of the only good things in his life, and he'd paid for it. Alice, by extension, had paid for it, too. Margo is by his side again, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

_/_

Quentin stops right outside the entryway, squeezing the card in his hand with enough force to almost snap it in two, and apparently Penny notices because he's racing to his side within seconds. "Q, dude," he says, touching his arm. "Stop."

Blinking, Quentin looks at him and then down at his hand. Slowly, he relaxes; he hadn't even realized he'd been squeezing that hard. "Sorry," he mutters.

"No, no," Penny sighs heavily. "I get it—this can be a lot, but you can't, under any circumstances, break your card."

Quentin nods, and lifts the card to his face. He stares at it, squinting his eyes. It's funny, how much it looks like your average MetroCard. "What happens if it breaks?"

"I..." Penny shrugs, and for just a moment he looks like the old Penny, and Quentin feels his heart skip a beat. "I can't tell you that," he says finally, shaking his head, "but it's not good, for you." He touches Quentin's arm again. "I know this is hard, but you have to go."

Quentin nods. "Goodbye, Penny."

Penny smiles, and it's sincere if not a little sad. "Goodbye, Quentin."

They stand like that for a moment. Penny has apparently got a lot more patient because he's not rushing him, but he's also not leaving his side; just waiting patiently. Quentin almost feels bad for what he's about to do, but he doesn't have a choice—

_it's not his time yet._

"I hope this won't get you in trouble," Quentin spits the words out so fast they all run together, and before Penny even realizes what he's doing, he's broken the card in half. The two pieces start to drop to the floor but disappear before they get there.

Quentin blinks. "Is that—" _normal?_

He suddenly can't speak.

He looks up, but Penny is gone. He's in a different room now, too, small and white and with no exit in sight.

He slowly starts to laugh - laughing he can still do, apparently, so he laughs and laughs and laughs.

Walking over, he slumps against one of the pristine white walls and slides to the floor.

He was _so_ fucked.


	2. two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who's making stupid fast progress on this fic ME ME idk i'm just so angry i keep... writing

Eliot has never considered Alice a friend, exactly, more like an acquaintance, and even then, that was pushing it, but after Quentin's death, they become friends. He's not sure why; maybe they're both just so desperate to understand.

Everything. _Why_ this happened, who Quentin really was at the core.

Julia kind of befriends them, too, but she's gone a lot of the time. Eliot doesn't blame her.

"He's broken," Margo says, staring at her plate of waffles with disdain.

Josh reaches over and takes them from her, sighing as he tosses them out.

"He's upset," Alice corrects primly.

Margo looks at her, narrowing her eyes. "I think I know him—"

The door opens, and they both go quiet. "Girls, please," Eliot enters the room slowly; he never thought he'd be using a cane again this soon after the Mosaic. "There's enough of me to go around," he says, smiling a little.

Josh rushes over to his side and helps him take off his coat.

They were never really friends, either, huh? Funny how death changes people.

"Please, I can't take them fighting," Josh says in a hushed whisper.

Alice stands up, brushing her skirt off. She doesn't say goodbye, but stops near the door to give Eliot a hug. He smiles again, a bit more sincere, and sits by Margo once she's gone.

"She's hurting, too," he explains.

Margo crosses her arms. "I know that," she snaps. Then, she relaxes and reaches over to take his hand. "I'm sorry, El, I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay," he assures her. "We're all hurting."

Josh slowly approaches them, like he's afraid to interrupt the moment. "Fen is probably struggling, too. I'm gonna—I'm gonna go help... her."

Margo nods, smiling up at him—Eliot still isn't sure they're a good match, but... he at least makes her happy. 

/

"They want me... to take over the Library," Alice laughs, a little hysterical. "You're kidding me—why, after everything, would I want _anything_ to do with that place?"

Kady is there, too, but she's focusing most of her anger on Sheila.

"I know," Sheila says, quiet and soft, "but you can help fix everything. All the bad."

Alice paces the room, yanking her fingers through her hair. "I—I can't," she says, stopping suddenly, "I don't think I can."

"You don't have to," Kady says before Sheila can respond. Sheila shoots her a look, but she ignores her and steps forward. "You have been through more than enough, Alice." Kady smiles, small but sincere. "You deserve, for once, to have a choice."

Alice blinks. Once, twice.

Before she knows it, she's sobbing like a child, burying her face against Kady's shoulder.

Sheila opens her mouth, but Kady stops her.

"Not now," she says, placing a comforting hand on Alice's back. "Come back later."

Alice cries for a long time, and when she finally stops, she's surprised to see Eliot in the room, too, standing a few feet away.

"When—" she wipes her nose. "When did you get here?"

Kady steps to the side, and Eliot walks closer - slowly, of course. No one rushes him; Alice waits patiently until he's right in front of her.

"Alice," he reaches out with his free hand, gently pushing some hair behind her ear. "You are a good person. Despite everything, that is an undeniable fact." She laughs wetly, looking away. "But being a good person—that doesn't mean always doing what other people want."

/

Alice decides to do it. Eliot is happy for her, but he knows it won't be easy. Kady says she wants to help her, and he doesn't voice it, but.

He thinks that sounds like a great idea.

"So," Margo sits beside him on the couch. "Everyone is... moving on."

Eliot laughs a little, burying his face in his hands. "They're _living_ ," he mutters, something he so desperately wishes he could do, but he's not sure how anymore.

"Right..." Margo bites her bottom lip and reaches out to pet Eliot's hair. "Hey, I have an idea."

Slowly, he lifts his head. "What?"

"Let's go to Fillory," she says, nodding like it was the best idea in the world. "Fen would love to see you, I'm sure."

He purses his lips, suppressing a smile. "Are you sure you don't just want to see Josh?" he teases, laughing when she (gently) smacks him with a pillow. "Okay, okay," he sighs heavily, staring out the window. "Let's go to Fillory."

/

But things have gone wrong in Fillory, too, and Fen and Josh are nowhere to be seen (banished, apparently).

"We're going," Margo announces, hands on her hips in typical fashion.

Eliot nods slowly. "Where, exactly?"

"To the castle!" she exclaims. "To knock that little prince shit off the throne."

He nods again, slower. "Bambi, I hate to... doubt your abilities, but he has an entire kingdom, we have..." he looks around. "One currently out of commission magician, and you."

Margo sighs dramatically, tossing her hands in the air. "Well, we surely won't win with that attitude."

"Margo," he says, fondly. "We couldn't win right now, but... I have an idea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know q wasn't in this chapter a lot i'm trying to make this like As Legit as possible so i can't just quickly throw q back to the surface as much as i would LOVE that please be patient babies


	3. three

"Help you... overthrow an evil prince and win back Fillory?"

Eliot smiles politely. "If you'd be so kind, Julia."

Julia stares at him for a long moment, unblinking. He's almost positive she's going to say no, which is shocking because he hadn't anticipated such an outcome—

Then, she grins. "Okay," she says, "I'm in."

"Really?" Margo asks, lifting an eyebrow. "Just like that?"

Julia shrugs, smiling still. "I don't have anything better to do and," she lifts her hand, sparks of magic dancing from her fingertips, "I've been wanting to practice more, anyway."

"Okay," Margo says, dragging the word out slowly. "We might actually have a chance."

/

"First, though," Margo says, standing on the cliff overlooking the castle, "we need to find Fen and Josh."

Eliot nods, leaning on his cane for support. "I love Fen, but she's..."

"Kind of ditsy," Julia pipes up from the back. "Josh isn't the most reliable, either."

Margo glares at her for just a second before sighing. "I can't be mad; you're right."

Eliot turns to Julia. "You said you'd talk to Penny about helping us, right?" He's pretty sure he knows the answer, but he asks anyway. "What did he say?"

"He... will," Julia says, unsure, "but only when we're doing the whole... storming the castle thing, and only because he says he'll zap us out at the first sign of impending doom."

Margo turns, eyes sparkling with amusement. " _You_ ," she corrects, "he'll zap you out, and us by extension." She pauses, shrugging. "Hopefully—anyway!" Turning away, she starts down the path through the forest. "Let's find us some idiots."

/

They don't find Fen or Josh, but they do find many bunnies. Julia even carries one around for a while.

"I don't even—" Margo sighs, coming to a stop. "The bunnies are supposed to be at the castle, protected. Yes, some wild ones get loose, but this is..."

Eliot stops near Julia, gently running his hand down the bunny's back. "I'm starting to think our new little dark prince has something to do with this."

"That's terrible," Julia mutters, staring down at the bunny with sad eyes.

The bunny makes a sudden, painful screeching sound. Julia startles, throwing the bunny from her arms. Scrambling back, she nears the edge and—Eliot tosses his cane, grabbing her before she falls.

"Idiots!" Margo hisses, running to their side. He helps Eliot sit up. "You okay?" she asks Julia, looking her up and down.

"Yes," she says, scrambling to Eliot's side, too. "I'm sorry."

He smiles tightly. "It's fine," he sighs, rubbing his stomach. "Okay, that's a lie—that hurt like a bitch."

Margo clicks her tongue disapprovingly, lifting his shirt. "Thank God you didn't open the stitches," she says, tucking his shirt back down.

"Why would the bunny make a noise like that, though?" Julia asks.

They all sit there for a while, musing.

"Well, the bunnies usually mimic what they've heard, right?" Eliot pipes up.

Margo nods.

"Maybe they heard something," Eliot continues, but he looks unsure of his own theory. "Like someone screaming? And just—carried that with them."

Julia looks down at her hands. "But that could mean..." she glances at Margo from the corner of her eye. "Someone is hurt."

"Oh," Margo laughs sharply. She shakes her head. "No fucking way." Standing up, she dusts off her pants and goes to Eliot's side to help him stand, too. "We are not thinking that kind of shit unless we have proof, something more than a stupid screaming rabbit."

/

Quentin is pretty sure he's going insane. He stares at the wall across from him, the floor, the ceiling, but there's nothing. No door. Nothing. Not even a tiny hole, where maybe he'd have a chance to—

to contact anyone.

 _Eliot,_ his mind supplies like a drug, _contact Eliot, let him know you're alive. Like he did for you._

He laughs wetly, burying his face in his hands.


	4. four

"So," Julia steps over a large root. "What do you think the dark king," she uses quotations," is like?"

Margo is at the front of the group, weaving through branches. "I'm assuming a bitch," she answers simply.

Eliot laughs a little. He's at the back of the group, not all that surprising given his handicap. Margo always stops every few feet, though, to make sure he catches up. He doesn't blame her for being in a hurry.

"Right," Julia smirks.

They walk for about another thirty minutes when Eliot starts to slow. "Guys," he gasps, leaning against a tree. Margo stops abruptly, running to his side. "I—I hate to be a bother," he smiles grimly, "but I need a break."

"Of course," Margo frowns. "I shouldn't be—"

Eliot cups her face. "Don't start," he says, stern but gentle. "Let me just... sit for a minute or two."

So they all sit. Julia finds a place on a rock, using her jacket as a pillow.

No one says anything for a while, until—

"Guys," Julia perks up a little. "Is that..."

Margo looks at Julia. "What? What is it?"

She stands up, pointing. Margo jumps up and follows her finger with her eyes.

It was a small opening, probably to a cave, but that wasn't what caught Margo's attention—a shred of silk, pink and blue, hung from one of the rocks.

Running over, she pulls the fabric free and gasps. "This is—this is definitely Fen's," she gestures wildly, "probably from her dress or something."

Julia helps Eliot to stand, and they join her at the cave.

"Do you think..." Eliot eyes the cave skeptically.

Margo sighs, shoving the piece of fabric in her bag. "As much as I wanna say no, yes."

"Oh," Julia lifts her hand, creating a small circle of light, "this is going to be fun."

/

"Bunnies..." Eliot squints as he avoids stepping on anything with a pulse. "So many... bunnies."

Margo gently scoots a bunny out of the way with her foot. "If Fen and Josh aren't back here, I'm going to kick their asses." She pauses briefly, "after we find them."

"Do you think they were trying to get a message to someone?" Julia asks, leading the way.

"To us," Eliot mutters, "probably."

Julia suddenly stops, and Margo yelps when she collides with her back.

"Fucking bitch," she says, stepping back and rubbing her nose. "Warn a girl, will ya?"

Julia points. "Look! Up ahead, there's—there's smoke," her nose scrunches up. "Why would there be smoke coming out of a cave?"

"I don't know," Margo says, quickly casting a light of her own, "but we're about to find out."

She storms ahead, and Eliot scrambles to catch up. Julia helps him, at least. Turning a slight bend, Margo comes to a stop. Eliot can't see; it's too dark, and Margo's kind of blocking the way, but the way her voice hitches is—

"Please be good news," he says, pushing Julia aside. " _Please_ be good - "

Eliot isn't sure he's ever been so happy to see Josh's face.

"Guys," he jumps up, holding a stick that oddly resembles a spatula. "I am so happy to see you!"

Fen is sitting by the fire, holding a bunny. "You found us!" she exclaims, patting the bunny lovingly. "One of our little friends must've gotten to you."

"Yeah," Margo drops her light away, placing her hands on her hips primly. "It yelled at us."

Fen blinks. Once, twice. "Oh," she laughs sheepishly. "That one found you, did he? Yes... we almost had a little," she gestures weakly, "fire incident and lost one..." Placing the bunny aside, she stands up. "Good thing we did, though!"

Then, she sees Eliot and stops.

"You... you said you told Josh to tell her I was alive," Eliot whispers.

Margo glares at Josh. "You did tell her, right, Hoberman?"

He opens his mouth, but Fen rushes forward and hugs Eliot back he can answer. "Yes, yes, he did," she says, speaking fast, "but I didn't—it's different seeing you," she pulls back, cupping his face. "You look well."

Eliot laughs a little. "I've looked better."

"Well, yes," Fen answers honestly—always so honest. It was one of the things Eliot had loved about her. "But you're alive, and that's worth celebrating!"

Josh sits back down, swinging the stick-spatula. "Who wants some bunny to celebrate?"

"You've been..." Julia lifts both eyebrows, gesturing mutely at a bunny by her foot.

"We didn't have much of a choice," Fen answers, frowning deeply. "We can't possibly leave."

Margo sighs, and grabs the stick from Josh. "Okay, what the fuck do you mean leave? I thought that was the whole point of banishment. You _leave_."

"Yes," Fen sits back down, too, folding her hands together in her lap, "but we weren't banished."

Julia laughs dryly. "Always a fucking plot twist, huh?"

"That's what the... new King," Fen says, full of disdain, "wanted everyone to believe, but he ordered to have us, and anyone involved in the old order, executed."

Margo leans against one of the cave walls, folding her arms. "That's not going to work."

"We tried to get a message out, but... we were chased, and eventually ended up here," Josh says, sighing. "The new King is kind of an asshole, dudes."

Eliot smiles ruefully. "We kind of figured that out - thank you, Josh."

"Right," he shrugs.

Julia steps forward, kneeling to put her hands over the fire. "What do you guys know about him?" she asks. "Anything useful?"

Fen nods curtly. "He doesn't like animals. He released all of them from the castle."

"Oh," Margo shakes her head. "Big mistake, fucker."

Fen nods again. "But he's, like, really scary, so no one wants to do anything."

Eliot glances over at Margo. He isn't surprised to see she's staring back at him, a wicked smile on her face. "No one?" she asks, pushing off from the wall with flair. "You must be joking, Fen." She clamps a hand down on Julia's shoulder, and reaches out to take Eliot's hand. "We're going to make that dickwad regret ever crossing us."


	5. five

"We're a powerful little group, sure," Josh offers Julia some food, some kind of meat on a stick. She looks at the bunny in her lap, and curtly shakes her head no. "But an entire kingdom? I'm not—I'm not—"

Margo sighs heavily. "We get it, you're not full Goddess anymore, but I still think we can kick some little boy's privileged ass."

"I don't know what I am," Julia mumbles, making sparkles in her palm, "but regardless I need to practice more."

Josh looks between the two girls. "Not... not to side with Julia," he mutters, avoiding Margo's glare, "but you guys haven't seen the dude."

Fen nods primly. "He is quite powerful."

"We keep saying he," Eliot says, tilting his head. "Does the new King have a name?"

Fen shrugs. "Amon."

Margo lifts an eyebrow, but just shakes her head. 

"I'm just saying," Josh huffs. "We need more than a few halted magicians if we want to take him down. L—like Alice, and Kady, and—"

Fen smiles brightly. "Quentin," she adds.

Eliot is suddenly hit with everything; all the anger and sadness and bitterness he'd tucked away for this quest. He swallows around the lump in his throat and looks at Margo, who's staring at Josh. She doesn't look happy.

"You didn't tell Fen?" she hisses. "You told her about El, but not—fucking hell, Josh."

Josh opens his mouth, shuts it. Fen leans forward. "Tell me what?"

"It's..." Margo barely glances at Eliot.

He takes a deep breath. "Go on," he says, standing up. "She needs to know."

"Wh—where are you going?" she asks.

He shrugs weakly. "Outside. Unlike some people, I'm not on a hit list." He pauses, and laughs dryly. "Not yet, at least."

"El," she starts to get up, too, but Julia stops her.

"Give him a moment," Julia says, smiling sadly. "And he's right; Fen should know."

Eliot leans against the outside of the cave, staring up at the starry night sky. When he hears rustling, he expects to turn and see Margo, maybe Julia, but not—

"Fen," he hisses, "you shouldn't be out here!"

She waves him off. "It's dark, I should be fine..." It's not dark enough, though, because he can see the way she's looking at him.

"Don't," he says.

She joins him, leaning against the cave. "You really loved that one, didn't you?"

He's admittedly so surprised by her choice of words he can't even bother to be angry. "What?" he asks, looking at her.

"I could tell," Fen says confidently. "I'm not sure how, but... you two just had a special way of _being_." She looks up at the sky. "I'm sorry, Eliot."

He laughs wetly. "I'm tired of everyone saying that," he mutters. "You shouldn't be sorry for me... Quentin," he closes his eyes, taking a deep breath, "he didn't deserve this, any of it—not even this life."

Fen places a hand on his shoulder. "That's not true. He had you." She smiles, glancing at the cave. "And Julia, and Margo, and—"

He smiles a little. "Alice."

"Right," she squeezes gently. "I think that made this life more than worth living."

Slowly, he pushes off from the cave and takes Fen in his arms. She hugs him back.

"Thank you, Fen," he whispers in her hair.

/

"We need to go back and gather up everyone," Eliot announces once he's back inside the cave, Fen at his side. "We need to do this as a team."

Margo looks up. "That's—" she squints her eyes. "Why would they even wanna help?" She glances at Julia. "And you already said Penny was off the table, right?"

"I..." Julia shrugs. "Maybe I can try convincing him again."

Eliot nods confidently. "I can get Alice, and if we get Alice, I think Kady will do it, too."

"Really?" Margo lifts an eyebrow.

He smiles a little. "They've been growing closer. What can I say?"

"But that means leaving them," Margo says, glancing between Fen and Josh.

Fen rushes to join Josh. "We'll be fine," she says, clamping her hands down on his shoulders. "Right, Josh?"

He looks up at her. "I—I mean, why not?"

"Okay," Margo stands up, taking her bag with her. "Okay," she repeats. "Let's do it."

/

"We want you to help us," Eliot says, standing in front of Alice and Kady. "Both of you."

Kady folds her arm across her chest. "Things have finally..." she shakes her head. "We're not currently in any direct line of threat, Eliot, why would we go out of our way to—"

"Wait," Alice gently interrupts her, touching her arm. "She's right, Eliot, this would be... asking a lot. And not to mention," she does a sweeping gesture, "we have so much work to do here. The Library is in shambles."

Eliot nods curtly. "I know," he says, looking between them. "But all the more reason, right?" he laughs weakly. "I mean, we're all fine for once in our goddamned lives and Quentin isn't even here to—to be a part of it."

"I..." Alice frowns deeply. Kady places a hand on the small of her back.

"If you think you can guilt her—" Kady snarls, eyes fiery.

Sighing, Eliot's shoulders slump. He grips his cane so tight it's almost painful, but it's grounding—brings him out of his harmful thoughts. "That's not what I'm... trying to do," he says, slow. "I just think we all deserve better, which includes letting Margo and Fen rule again. With Josh by their side."

"He's right," Alice says, turning to Kady. "I want to do this, but Kady, you don't have to."

Kady hesitates, staring at Alice for a long, lingering moment. Eliot almost feels like he's intruding. Finally, she turns to Eliot. "Okay, fine, we're in."


	6. six

Quentin is bored. At first he was hopeful, soon after he was crushed with overwhelming fear that he had truly, undeniably fucked up.

Now, though, he's just bored. He stands facing one of the walls; he has no kind of weapon, but he has nails, at least, so he tries to scratch the surface.

Nothing happens, of course, but he keeps trying anyway. It's something to do.

Eventually, he grows bored of that, too, though, and slumps back to the floor.

That's when he sees it out of the corner of his eye; a shadow in the corner of the room. Nothing is in the room, is the odd part, but somehow that shadow is real, dancing around. Slowly, he stands up. He can't speak, but he desperately feels like he needs to. Before this shadow thing moves away.

He coughs, looking for a reaction.

And he gets one, just not the kind he wants—the shadow disappears instantly.

He rushes to the corner, but he already knows he won't find anything.

 _What_ the fuck?

/

"Penny, we need all the help we can get," Julia is sitting on the edge of the couch, wringing her hands. "And—and frankly?" she laughs, a little wet. "This is the least you can do after what did to me."

He stops pacing the room, turning to her. "I said I was—"

"Sorry?" she interrupts. "Yeah, well, actions speak louder than words, asshole." Standing up, she crosses the room to stand in front of him. "You betrayed my trust, took my choice from me. That... that has happened too many times." She pokes him in the chest, and apparently applies a little magic because he goes stumbling back.

He doesn't say anything, just waits.

"I will not let a man hurt me like that again," she lifts her chin. "And that includes some bratty little prince who's trying to take my remaining friends away."

Penny nods slowly. "Okay," he says, breathless.

She tenses. "Really?"

"Yes," he clears his throat. "I can at least be Plan B—for when everything inevitably turns to shit."

She nods. "Okay," she shakes her hands out, sparks flying, "I need to go tell the others."

/

"So," Margo looks around the room, hands firmly planted on her hips. "We've got everyone." She glances at Eliot, who's by her side. "I didn't think we'd actually be able to pull this off without—" she stops abruptly.

Eliot takes a deep breath, staring at the crown on the mantle. After the bonfire, Eliot had wandered back outside to find Quentin's crown on the grass, a little messed up but ultimately in one piece.

He hadn't asked anyone—he'd just put it up on the mantle with some of Marina's things.

"It's okay," he says, a little shaky, "I wasn't sure we could pull this off without him, either."

Margo briefly touches his arm; a silent comfort. "Okay, everyone," she turns back to all the others. "Mission: take Fillory back from some self-obsessed little dick begins now."

/

Eliot lingers near the entrance of the castle, Margo by his side. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"El," Margo pulls her hair down with one quick sweep of her hand, long curls bouncing to rest on her shoulders. "Evil or not, all guys are the same."

"Right," he glances back, to where the others are waiting in the forest. "But what if he's gay?"

Margo rolls her eyes, clamping a hand on down his shoulder. "Then, it's your turn."

"Oh." He lifts an eyebrow.

With a smile, she turns to the castle and walks straight up to the guards. Eliot stays back a few feet, clutching his cane.

"Hi, boys," she purrs, and Eliot almost laughs because fuck, she was good.

One of the guards—an older man with white hair—blinks at her. "Ma'am, you can't be here."

"Right, right," she continues, waving him off. "But I was hoping to just... rest for a bit." She sighs, dramatic. "I've been traveling all day, you see, and I'm exhausted." She tilts her hair. "Surely, the King wouldn't mind that, would he?"

The guard hesitates for just a moment before—

"Okay," he says, looking around. "You can stay in the guest quarters. Just be..."

Margo puts a finger to her lips. "Discreet," she whispers with a wink. "Got it."

Then, she was being ushered inside. Eliot feels a sudden surge of protectiveness, but he pushes it away—this was the plan. She would be fine.

Turning away, he joins the others.

"She did it," Julia says, a little breathless.

Eliot smiles a bit. "You could've, too."

She snorts, leaning against a tree. "I do not have that..."

"Sex appeal?" Eliot offers, still smiling.

Julia thinks for a moment. "Yeah, something like that. Maybe just confidence."

"I hate to interrupt," Kady says, arms folded across her chest, "but we're not in the clear yet. We're screwed if she gets caught."

Alice smiles tightly, nudging Kady just a bit. "I'm sure she'll be fine. If you don't know her, Margo doesn't look that threatening."

"And that's why she's so scary," Josh mutters.

He knows it isn't under the best circumstances, but Eliot can't help feeling a little happy—that they're all together again, fighting to do the right thing.

Turning to the castle, he pauses abruptly when he sees it—

"Guys," he says, still as a rock. "Do you see... that?"

Julia pushes off from the tree. "What? What is it?"

He looks, but suddenly the shadow is gone. "There was—a shadow," he points, but there's nothing there now. His hands slowly drops. "Maybe I was... seeing things."

"We haven't gotten much rest," Alice says softly.

He shakes his head, and goes back to staring at the castle.


	7. seven

After about thirty minutes, they see Margo leave the castle. Eliot sighs with relief; she looks perfectly fine.

She quickly joins them in the forest. "Okay, you guys were right," she says, addressing Fen and Josh. "He has completely remodeled the place."

Eliot purses his lips. Fillory hasn't been his home in a while, sure, but it was still his home. Having some newcomer come and change things... He didn't like it, and he can tell from the fire in Margo's eyes that she doesn't, either.

He looks at Fen. She doesn't look angry, really, just sad.

"But I was able to get to most places without getting caught."

Penny pulls out a piece of paper and a pencil. "Here."

Margo takes it and immediately begins sketching the place. "There is only two places that were heavily guarded - the King's room, and the basement."

"What's in the basement?" Julia asks, furrowing her brows.

Margo shrugs, finishing up her sketch. It's messy, but mostly readable. "Let's all take our time memorizing this while we rest."

/

"Bambi," Eliot whispers, gently touching her arm.

Slowly, she opens her eyes. "Ugh, what is it?" she groans. "Are we being attacked?"

"No, no," Eliot runs his hand down her arm, grasping her hand. "I just—I had a nightmare," he whispers, mouth twitching.

In seconds, she's sitting up, eyes no longer bleary with sleep. "Baby," she says quietly. "Again?"

"Y—yeah," he swallows audibly, staring up at the sky. "I need to be—better already," he says, clenching his jaw. "We need to do this for—for all of us, but my stupid brain just isn't catching up." He laughs dryly, allowing Margo to pull him close for a hug.

Petting his hair, she kisses his forehead. "You're doing amazing, El, considering what you went through this year." Pulling back, she smiles sincerely. "If you want to sit this out, no one will blame you."

"I—" Eliot tries to blink away the tears. "I don't think I can do that. I need," the tears are streaming down his face now, and he feels like such an idiot, "I need to do this. To prove something to myself."

Margo nods, pulling him against her chest. "Okay," she says.

/

Julia approaches the guards first. She might not be anything like Margo, but they pause anyway, and that's just enough time for her to take them out with a flick of her wrist.

The others join her. Kady whistles.

"Impressive," she says.

Fen steps over one of the bodies. "Are they—"

"Knocked out," Julia answers primly, walking to Margo's side. Eliot suppresses a smile; maybe they weren't so different after all.

The guards inside are a different story - they are obviously much stronger, but Alice takes them out easily. By the time they reach the throne room, Eliot is almost—

 _hopeful_.

They can do this—they can defeat this asshole and take back Fillory.

"Ready, asshats?" Margo asks, standing to one side of the door, Alice at the other.

She doesn't wait for an answer, of course, before the two women pull the door open with a resounding bang.


	8. eight

A burst of magic, so strong it throws them all back, comes spilling from the room.

Everyone else seems to be able to handle it—shaken, but back on their feet in seconds. Eliot, however, is not so lucky. Margo rushes to his side to help him as a man—

No, not just any man—the new High King steps out. He's surprisingly exactly what Eliot had imagined, but also not at all. He's young, probably their age, with wild dark curls and pale skin. He smiles politely.

"I didn't know we had guests," he announces cheerily.

Margo looks at Eliot. He doesn't know what to say. So he just shrugs.

"Okay," Margo says slowly, turning her attention to Amon. "Weird."

Alice is standing stiffly by the door, hands still raised. Kady is near her, eyes burning with rage.

Amon sighs after a moment, turning to Alice. She tenses even more, narrowing her eyes.

"You," he muses. "You are quite strong, huh?"

Alice smirks a little, and Eliot can't help thinking it's a good look on her. "Strong enough to fry your ass," she says. Kady smiles with something like pride.

"Of course," he smiles, turning to Julia. "You're strong, too."

Julia scoffs. "Thanks," she drawls. "Had no clue."

Shaking her head, Margo finally stands up, helping Eliot to do the same. "Okay, dickster," she says dryly. "What game are you playing at?"

"Game?" he asks. "What do you mean?"

She juts her thumb in the direction of Fen and Josh. "You ordered your guards to kill them, and now you're playing like the perfect little host." She frowns. "I know bullshit when I smell it, and you reek."

Amon purses his lips, seeming to think for a moment. Eliot has a feeling that can't be a good thing. Finally, he sighs dramatically. "Fine," he says. "I wanted to play civil, but— "  
Lifting his hands, fiery sparks dance from his fingertips. It's a kind of magic Eliot isn't sure he's ever seen before; oddly beautiful.

"I guess that is no longer an option, hmm?"

Eliot gets a glimpse of Alice performing some kind of spell. Kady, too.

Then, everything goes black.

/

When Eliot wakes up, everything is still dark. He lifts his hand to perform a simple light spell, but nothing happens. "Okay," he whispers. "I'm weak, but not that weak."

"You're not," Alice replies from somewhere to his left, he thinks. "Magic won't work in here."

He hears some rustling. "Thank God you're okay," Margo says, wrapping her arms around him. "You're the last one to wake up."

He nods, placing a comforting hand on her back. "Where are we?"

"Not sure," Alice sighs. "Probably a chamber of some kind. You said the basement was heavily guarded, right?"

He feels a foot kick him. Then—

"Fuck," it's Kady, "didn't mean to—"

"It's fine," he interrupts gently. "We have to find a way out of here."

Margo nods against his shoulder. "We've felt all around. There does seem to be a door, but... it's made out of pure steel and we couldn't find a handle."

"If we had magic," Alice says, "it'd be a piece of cake, but."

Eliot nods. "So you're telling us," he drawls slowly, "we're all genius magicians, but no one thought to bring... a flashlight?"

He can hear Alice open her mouth, but she ultimately doesn't say anything.

"Okay," he sighs, feeling for a wall. Once he finds one, he slowly stands up. "Bambi, dear," he says to the darkness, "if you could show me to the door."

She stands up seconds later, and leads him to the door by his arm.

"Wow," he knocks. "You guys weren't kidding. It's pure steel."

Margo slumps against the door. "We totally screwed up, huh?"

He smiles a little. "Now, now, that's not very Margo of you." Stepping back, he squints - tries to see anything through the dark.

And he does see something, but...

It's like a circle of dust, but dark. Even darker than the pure blackness they're in.

"Margo," he whispers. "Do you see that?"

She pushes off from the door and looks. "Wait..." she covers her good eye. "What is that?"

"I have no fucking clue," Eliot replies, reaching out.

Margo gasps. "Don't touch it!" she hisses.

"What is it?" Alice asks, and in seconds she's by Eliot's side, looking. "She's right," Alice agrees quickly. "I don't think touching it is a good idea."

Eliot rolls his eyes. "It's like—dust," he says. "Stop freaking out." So he reaches out, and almost immediately jumps back the second his hand makes contact. "Fucking son of a bitch," he says, shaking his hand out. "That shit zaps like a motherfucker."

"Wait," Alice turns. "Try to do something."

He lifts an eyebrow, still shaking his hand out. "What?"

"Like," she sighs, "magic—do some magic."

He blinks. "Okay," he whispers. Stilling his hand, he tries to make a light and—

"Holy shit," Julia says. "It worked."

Staring at his hand, he smiles a little.

"Okay," Alice turns to the dust, "I'll collect as much as I can, and—and try to blow the door."

She's successful—not that Eliot ever really doubted her abilities—and they storm the hall, ready to fight but the guards are all on the floor already, unconscious, but—

"There's no," Julia crouches down near one, "blood or anything."

Eliot looks up, and spots the floating black dust again. He realizes it's not really dust, but more like a shadow moving with the wind, slow and steady.

"Do you guys think..." he trails off.

Margo looks at him, seems to think for a moment. "I don't know," she answers finally, taking his hand, "but we don't really have time to stop and think it over, do we? Let's just count our blessings it's not coming after us and go."

He nods as they all hurry down the hall to the exit.


	9. nine

Amon is waiting for them because, of course, Eliot knows life is constantly unfair, why should today be any different?

At least, he looks vaguely surprised if not a little impressed.

"I did not think you'd be able to escape that room," he muses, folding his arms across his chest. "Color me impressed."

Margo steps to the front of the group. "Sorry, dickhead, but we don't really care."

He frowns, dropping his arms to his sides. "Right, yes, of course." Stepping back, he starts to move his hands quickly.

Eliot grabs Margo by the arm and yanks her out of the way just in time. A large ball of something like fire, bright and hot, barely avoids her, crashing against the wall with a sizzling sound.

"You fucking—"

Alice steps in front of him. "Let me," she says breezily, throwing her hands up.

Amon laughs. "I'm not scared of you," he says, lifting an eyebrow, "even if you are strong for your little group, you're nothing—" he goes flying forward, scrambling to get his footing back. Eliot can just barely see Kady over his his shoulder, hands raised, mimicking the same spell Alice is currently performing.

"Bitch," Amon pops his neck. "You two really think a little binding spell is enough?"

Alice laughs, wetly. "Honestly, I have no fucking clue, but," her hands start to move faster. "Sometimes the most simple spell is what you need most."

Eliot isn't sure why, but his heart aches at that. Throwing his hands up, he joins the spell, too. He's weak, and his energy drains fast, but he doesn't stop.

"Julia, Josh," Margo calls. She doesn't have to say anything - they get with the program fairly quickly, and join the spell.

With a terrible screeching laugh, Amon throws his head back. Margo waits until Alice nods, giving her the clear, to approach him.

"Looks like we're plenty strong enough to—"

Eliot watches, almost in slow-motion, as Amon breaks the bind just long enough to shove a hand through Margo's chest. Her scream is almost too much, and he breaks away from the spell to run to her side, catching her as she drops to the floor.

"Oh," Kady shakes her head, "fuck this."

Grabbing the arm of the King's chair, she kicks the back of the chair so hard the arm breaks off. She looks at Alice, who's sweating, struggling to keep up the spell with much less people. She nods at her.

Kady nods back, and sneaks up behind Amon. "Hey, asshole," he turns his head, just a little. "Go to Hell."

Smiling cruelly, she stabs the makeshift stake through his chest and scurries back.

He yells, and yells, before dropping to the floor. Everyone is by Margo's side in seconds. Josh grabs her hand, Fen gently pets some hair out of her face. Alice is already scrambling to do a healing spell, but Julia stops her.

"It's not," she whispers. "It's too bad."

Eliot takes a few shallow breaths, his cheeks wet with tears. "Bambi, baby," he says, leaning close. "You saved me, so don't think for a second I won't do the same for you." He looks up, around at all the faces watching them. "Th—there has to be something."

He looks down back at Margo, stroking her cheek.

"I can't," he chokes back a sob. "I can't lose her, too."

Alice scoots closer. "We—we can try taking her back, and see—"

That's when he sees it again; the black shadow, dancing over Margo's body.

"This is so fucking weird," Kady mutters, but Eliot can see it in her eyes, too: hope.

/

Quentin has started to notice a pattern: the black shadow, smoke, dust—whatever—comes around every few days. He thinks.

To be fair, he's not really sure he's properly counting days, but he's trying.

It's easy to spot—so stark against the white walls and ceiling and floor, but he's still not sure what it is. He thinks it's alive, though, as much as it can be.

Each time he approaches it, though—

Poof.

Until right now, that is. He approaches it as per usual, expecting the same result, but it doesn't disappear this time. Actually, the shadow dances around his body like it's an insect and Quentin is its only light source.

He slowly reaches out, touching it with shaking fingers. He has no clue what's going on, but—

but at least he isn't alone.


	10. ten

"Please," Eliot begs. "I don't know what the fuck you are," he laughs, a little hysterical, "but if you can help save her, I'll—I'll do anything."

Alice touches his arm gently. "Eliot, maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"I don't care," he snaps, but then falters a bit when he sees Alice's face. "I'm —I'm sorry, but it's true," he looks back to the dancing shadow. "Help her. Please."

Slowly, the shadow moves to the floor. And starts to morph, forming a pair of—

"Feet?" Fen asks, squinting.

Then, legs and a torso and finally a head. The form has no real features, is just a vague black outline of a body.

"Why am I getting the Beast flashbacks?" Penny asks tensely.

Julia shakes her head, slowly. "I don't think it wants to hurt us."

Eliot doesn't even look at them, just focuses on the black form. "Please," he says weakly. "Help her."

Quickly, in almost a flash, the figure enters Margo's body and -

"Look what you fucking did!" Kady exclaims, but just as quickly the blackness leaves her and Margo jerks awake, gasping for air.

Eliot blinks rapidly, tears falling onto her face and rolling off. "Bambi," he whispers. "You're okay," he hugs her closer, petting her hair. "You're okay, just—" he checks her chest, and sure enough the injury is gone. "You're okay."

"That's..." Alice blinks, looking between Margo and the shadowy figure. "That's some powerful magic."

Penny laughs sharply. "Are we sure we didn't just get help from Beast 2.0?"

"I don't care," Eliot snaps, glaring at Penny. "Margo is safe," his voice softens. "That's all that matters."

Margo takes a few deep breaths, staring up at Eliot with wet eyes. "Fuck," she says.

Eliot laughs a little. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"I am not a beast," the shadowy figure says.

Eliot, somehow, hadn't wondered if he could speak. He startles, but quickly relaxes, petting Margo's hair again. "I don't care what you are," he says, honest. "Thank you."

"I care," Kady mumbles quietly.

The figure turns, slowly, to look at her. "This one," he gracefully gestures at Amon's fallen body, "has been trying to summon me for over three hundred years."

"Right," Eliot replies. "Time works... differently where we're from."

Alice steps forward, taking a protective stance between the figure and Eliot and Margo. Eliot feels a sudden burst of love for her.

"Okay," she says, polite as ever. "And who are you, exactly?"

The figure moves slightly. "The basement," he says **—**

and then he's gone.

Alice sighs in relief, dropping to her knees. Scrambling to Margo, she takes her hand. "I'm glad you're okay," she says, eyes wet.

Margo stares up at her for a long minute. "Thank you, Alice."

"I—" Alice looks surprised. "Don't thank me," she says eventually, blinking away some tears.

Penny joins them, crouching. "Guys, not to interrupt the moment, but... shouldn't we check the basement?"

"Right," Eliot clears his throat, tucking some hair behind Margo's ear. "You stay here, love."

She glares. Fen takes her hand. "I'll stay with her."

Margo softens a little. "Fine."

"It's not because you're not the most badass bitch of us all," Eliot says, smiling sincerely. "You can be badass, _and_ rest when you need it."

She rolls her eyes, but smiles a little. "Just go - figure out the name of our little shadowy friend."

/

The basement has many chambers, but only one with literal bolts and chains around the door. Alice raises one eyebrow. "Amateurs," she says primly, doing a quick spell to shatter the locks.

Eliot smiles, a little prideful. He clamps a hand down on her shoulder as he passes. "Good job."

She smiles back.

Slowly, he pushes the door open with some help from Josh and Penny. Slamming against the wall with a loud clank, Eliot searches for a lantern and snaps his fingers, illuminating the room with light.

That's when he spots it; the large circle in the middle of the room, drawn with something like black chalk. Stepping closer, he crouches down—

"Fuck," he says. He can see black particle, like dust, rising from the middle of the circle. "Our shadow friend wasn't kidding; Amon was trying to summon something."

Julia walks to a table. "Guys," she says, holding up a book. "I think I know who he was summoning." Everyone surrounds her as she holds the book out, pointing to the name at the top of the page.


	11. eleven

Eliot blinks. Once, twice. "Oh my fuck," he says, breathless. "He was trying to summon—"

"Hades?" Alice squeaks, grabbing the book. "That's - who would want to do that?"

A memory of Quentin, smiling, flashes through Eliot's mind, but he quickly pushes it away.

"Who knows," Kady says gruffly, "and who cares. Let's go."

Eliot shakes his head, taking the book. "I think we need to do it."

"What?" Josh asks in a high voice. "Why?"

He rolls his eyes, placing the book back on the table. "He told us to go to the basement—that has to mean something. If it was just finding out his name, he could've told us."

"I..." Alice joins Eliot, giving him an encouraging smile. "I think Eliot is right."

Kady grabs her arm gently. "Alice," she says.

"I don't think he wants to hurt us," Alice replies softly, placing her hand over Kady's. "I think it's worth trying. It might not even work," she continues, glancing at the circle of chalk. "Amon obviously couldn't do it."

Julia smiles a little. "Not to brag, but I think we're all stronger than he was."

"I don't know," Alice walks to the circle. "I don't think this is necessarily about power."

Eliot flips to the next page in the book. "Well," he turns to the others. "Let's find out."

/

Quentin has befriended the shadow; he's even named it.

Smokey.

Yeah, not his best work, but come on, he was running on exactly zero hours of sleep because apparently sleeping was not a thing he could do in this room.

He hasn't seen the shadow in a few days, though, which is driving him crazy.

That stupid thing was his only company here—if he loses it, too, he's not sure what he'll do.

Finally, the shadow appears again. Quentin scrambles to his feet.

It's different now, though—swirling in a weird way. Quentin watches curiously, quietly, as the shadow starts to flicker.

Then, like he's watching something on a television, an image starts to form. He squints; it looks like a ceiling of some kind, concrete and dark.

"Is anything happening?"

Quentin is so surprised he jumps back, but then—

He knows that voice. Scrambling forward, he peers back at the image and his heart skips a beat when Alice's face enters the frame. She's sweating a little, but she looks good - healthy.

He laughs a little, breathless.

Then, someone joins her and Quentin feels like his heart has stopped beating altogether.

"Eliot," he sobs. Before throwing a hand up to his neck. "What the fuck?"

He wants to savor every second, but slowly the image begins to fade away.

"No," he reaches out, but his hand simply goes through it. "No," he repeats, tears collecting in his eyes. "Please, please. Just—just a little longer."

Then, the image vanishes entirely.

/

The group is standing around the circle, holding hands and waiting. Eliot has done the spell twice now, but nothing is happening. The black smoke is still coming up from the center, though, so that's a good sign.

He thinks. Honestly, he has no idea.

"Should we, like, try addressing him?" Josh asks, furrowing his brows.

Kady looks at him like he's an idiot.

"I'm just," he shrugs. "Just throwing out ideas."

Alice stares at the circle. Eliot can tell she's thinking, hard. "Maybe he's right."

"I—" Kady's expression shifts, turns thoughtful. "Okay, if you think so."

Josh gasps. "Hurtful," he mutters.

"Hades," Eliot starts awkwardly, lifting an eyebrow, "thanks for, uh, the whole saving Margo thing."

Alice smiles a little, squeezing his hand gently.

"Is Hades such a bad guy?" Julia asks, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "I mean, I feel like he gets a bad reputation, but he's just doing his job."

Penny shrugs. "People are just scared of death, and he's kind of the spokesperson for that."

Eliot thinks briefly of Quentin again, but pushes the thought away.

"Hades," he says, clearing his throat. "Why did you help us?"

Suddenly, the lights go out and the room is engulfed in darkness. Josh yelps, and Alice squeezes his hand, just to make sure he's still there.

Eliot swallows thickly. He's not sure why, but he feels—

"Are you here?" he asks.

The lights slowly flicker back to life, and when they do, Eliot is surprised to see a rather ordinary looking man standing in the middle of the circle. His skin is dark, and he's—oddly handsome. Eliot laughs a little because fuck.

"Hello, Eliot," he greets.

Everyone releases each other's hands, stepping back a bit. Eliot doesn't.

"You saved my best friend," Eliot says. "Thank you."

Hades smiles, showing off perfect, straight white teeth. He nods. "It's repayment."

"For saving you from that asshole?" Kady asks.

He looks at her. "Yes," he replies, but hesitates, "but mostly for saving all of the Old Gods." His smile widens a bit. "I wasn't truly all that worried about that man," he clasps his hands together behind his back. "He was quite weak."


	12. twelve

Eliot laughs suddenly, a sharp sound that rips through the air.

"That's—" he gasps through the laughter. "That's fucking bullshit," he says. "You saved Margo," he says, almost accusatory, "but you let Quentin just fucking— _fuck_ you."

Josh shakes his head. "Uh, can we not be rude to the literal God standing right here?"

"Quentin, right," Hades sighs, "I've been keeping an eye on him, too. He did something stupid when he passed over—took a sliver of me with him when he did it."

Eliot blinks. Once, twice. "You—he did _what?_ "

"I've been watching him," Hades repeats simply, ignoring his question. He slowly looks around the room, at every person. Then, he nods. "Oh, I understand now."

Eliot watches helplessly as he disappears, scrambling to the center of the circle. He drops to the floor. He's crying—wailing, really—and he doesn't care. Margo comes bursting through the door, Fen at her side.

"I couldn't stop her!" Fen says.

Alice shakes her head once, and takes Margo's hand. They both crouch next to Eliot.

"I—" he swallows through the sobs wrecking his body, "I'm glad he saved you, Bambi, but—"

She looks at Alice for answers. Alice mouths _later_ and that's all she needs, before she's rubbing Eliot's back soothingly. "I know," she rests her head on his shoulder. "I know, baby."

Alice wants to comfort him—help—but she doesn't know how. After a while, though, Eliot hugs her, burying her face in his chest. She looks over his head at Margo and they both share a sad look.

"W—we did it, though," Fen says, wringing her hands. "We saved Fillory."

Eliot looks up, just barely, and laughs wetly. "Right," he whispers. And he's happy. Fillory is home for so many people: Margo and Fen and Josh. It was home for him, too, but now nothing feels like home. He buries his face back in Alice's chest, and they stay like that for a long time. Even Kady and Penny stay uncharacteristically quiet, patiently waiting.

/

Eliot eventually calms down. Alice and Margo both help him get to his feet. "Let's get you to a room," Margo says, soft.

Alice looks at the others. "You guys can go," she smiles tightly. "We all need some rest."

Kady hesitates for just a second.

Alice smiles at her, a little more sincere. "Go, I'll join you in a few."

"Okay," she nods curtly and disappears from the room with everyone else.

Eliot sniffles, looking at Alice with mild interest. "Are you two...?" he asks slowly.

"What?" Alice asks, baffled. "Of course not." But she's blushing, and now Margo notices, too.

She grins at Alice, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Are you not interested?"

Alice opens the door for them. Margo helps Eliot, not easily, through the door and into the hall. Alice joins them seconds later. "I—" she clears her throat, taking Eliot's right arm again. She's carrying his cane, too. "I didn't say that."

"So you are?" Eliot smiles sadly.

Alice looks at him for a long moment. Then, she looks away. "You don't think I'm terrible?" she asks quietly.

"Why would we think that?" Margo asks. "We're both queer, sweetie. No judgement here."

Alice turns back to them. "No, not that... I mean," she trails off, biting her lip. Her eyes are a little wet.

"You're allowed to move on," Eliot says, more to the air than anyone. "Quentin would want that, I think."

Alice nods slowly.

They don't speak after that.


	13. thirteen

Margo and Alice help Eliot to a room and in bed, wrapping him up in the blankets like a child. Margo lingers, smiling tightly. "I'm gonna stay with him," she explains.

Alice nods. "I'm sorry," she says—she isn't sure what she's apologizing for.

"Don't," Margo says and hesitates for just a second before hugging her. She pets her hair. "Thank you, Alice, for everything." She pulls back and smiles. "But especially for being there for Eliot."

Alice smiles back. "Don't thank me for that," she looks at Eliot, who's already dozed off, exhausted from all the crying. 

"He's special," Margo whispers, looking at Eliot, too. "He always has been, but I don't think he sees it. No offense, but when he said he loved Quentin, I told him go for it. I told him anyone would be lucky to have him. He laughed like I was crazy."

Alice shakes her head. "It's fine." Taking a shaky breath, she looks up at the ceiling. "I loved Q, but I think I always knew we weren't good. As lovers, at least. I wish—" she swallows thickly. "I wish we got a chance to try again, as friends."

Margo gently rubs her back. "Go get some rest," she says, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm going to sleep with him."

"You, too," Alice says.

Margo waits until she's gone to crawl into the bed behind Eliot, spooning him. She runs her fingers through his hair. She doesn't realize she's crying until much later.

/

Eliot wakes up before Margo does. The room is dark and there's a smell in the air—it's not a bad scent: it smells kind of familiar...

He pushes the thought away and sits up, gently moving Margo to the side.

"I'll be right back, Bambi," he whispers. 

He climbs out of bed and slips out into the hall, closing the door behind him. He looks up and down the hall, but he doesn't see anything.

The smell—it's still there, though: stronger.

Eliot licks his lips nervously and grips his cane, tight, as he slowly walks down the hall. He passes a few rooms—with Julia, and Alice, and Josh. 

He smiles just a little when he passes Penny's room because, well, he's snoring quite loudly.

Then he comes to the crown room—where Margo was stabbed earlier—and he shivers, walking up to one of the thrones and sitting slowly. His cane slips and clatters to the floor. He hopes no one heard it.

He wants to be alone. For just a second.

He takes a shaky breath. The smell lingers, but it's softer now.

Then Eliot sees it again and he laughs, low in his throat. "You're still here?" he asks, addressing the black shadow dancing around the throne beside him. He remembers Quentin sitting there once, knees pulled up to his chest.

The laugh in his throat turns to a sob and he swallows it.

"You're kind of a bitch," Eliot continues, not waiting for any kind of reply. "You saved Margo, but not Quentin? Why? Quentin is—he deserved to live a full life." He looks away. "He's always been good and true. He cares for people in this way that seems so easy for him. I've never been like that."

He gulps, eyes watering.

"I've never loved anyone like I loved him. The closest I've ever known is Margo but," he tilts his head, "that's—that's different, and she knows it. We both do."

Eliot slowly lifts his hands, burying his face in them. He takes a few deep shuddering breaths. His head hurts, and he suddenly wishes he was back in bed with Margo.

"Do you honestly feel that way?"

Eliot looks up—at the shadow. He smiles sadly. "Yeah," he whispers. "I do."

The shadow flickers a bit before disappearing. Eliot chokes on a sob and curls up in the throne, resting his head on his knees. He falls asleep a few seconds later.

/

"Eliot, sweetie," Margo's voice is soft, quiet. Eliot opens his eyes and blinks a few times. She smiles, just a little. "Please, you scared me—disappearing in the middle of the night like that."

Eliot smiles sadly, dropping his feet to the floor heavily. His legs and feet are both asleep, tingling. "I'm sorry," he says, clearing his throat. "I—"

"Don't," she says, raising a hand. "I get it. Just. Please let me know next time, okay?"

Eliot nods curtly. He's only now realizing they aren't alone: Alice is standing a few feet away, wringing her hands. He tries to smile again, but it doesn't happen.

"I - I helped Josh make some food," Alice says finally. "You should eat," she says, addressing Eliot mostly but Margo, too. She walks over and helps Eliot to his feet, fetching his cane. She hands it to him, their fingers brushing briefly.

She feels so warm, and Eliot laughs, sharp. She quickly withdraws her hands.

"No, I—" he looks away. 

He misses the feeling of skin on skin. But not just with anyone.

He thinks of Quentin—a distant, fuzzy memory of them together in a cabin, sleeping together. Eliot spooning Quentin, lazily rubbing circles in his skin.

"Let's go," he says, stepping down from the thrones. "I really am hungry."

It's a lie—an obvious one—but no one questions him. Margo smiles tightly and slips her arm in his, helping him. "Yes, let's."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chap will have a lot of q... so be prepared hehe


	14. fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please feel free to follow me on twitter @ queermight  
> next chap might have some reunions... who knows

Eliot tells Margo about the shadow a few days later. She looks surprised for just a second before nodding and taking his hand, squeezing. "I thought he'd be gone," she says, "after we summoned him."

"I did, too," he admits softly. "At this point I wish he would just disappear."

Margo nods slowly, stroking her thumb over his knuckles - a tiny comforting gesture.

"I just—knowing he's right there," Eliot continues, glaring at nothing in particular, "and that he should—he of all people should be able to bring Q back and he's just _not_. He doesn't give a shit." He takes a sharp breath. "I don't get it. How can—how can anyone see Q and not—he deserves to live."

Margo leans up and takes him in his arms, humming quietly. "He _deserved_ ," she corrects gently. "El, I want him back, too, but we can't put our entire lives on hold, hoping someway somehow we'll be able to bring him back."

"I know!" he hisses, surprisingly sharp. "But I can't just—I can't."

Margo pets his hair. She doesn't say anything after that.

/

Quentin can talk now. He's not sure what changed since seeing the image of Alice and Eliot, but he's not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. So now he's taken to a new approach: screaming, like, a lot.

He screams at the walls and ceiling. He begs—loudly and quietly—all day and night.

Well, he's not exactly sure when day ends and night begins, but still—he screams nonstop. He screams until his throat is sore and he feels like he's going to pass out, which.

Honestly doesn't sound so bad, considering he hasn't slept in what feels like weeks now.

He decides to take a break eventually—sliding down a wall and pulling his knees up to his chest, he rests his chin on his knees and stares blankly at his feet. He's never considered just how badly he wants to live before. But after seeing Alice and Eliot, he knows with certainty that he wants to see them again.

He knows things will never be perfect.

He'll never be normal—he'll always have to struggle in a way most people don't. But he doesn't _care_. He wants to try. He wants to be with his friends and on medication because _fuck_ Fogg and his idea that magicians don't need medication.

Quentin isn't sure how, but he thinks he dozes off, which shouldn't be possible but he doesn't really have time to think too much about that because when he opens his eyes, he's not alone in the tiny, white room.

He stares up at the stranger.

Quentin laughs, once. He's just so glad to not be alone he doesn't even want to question who the fuck this is for a long, lingering moment.

But then the stranger—in the body of a tall and dark handsome man—crouches down gracefully. Like he isn't really moving but floating.

"I've seen a lot of people be missed," the man says, and his voice sends shivers down Quentin's spine. "Almost every person who passes is missed by someone, even if they don't think such is possible."

Quentin swallows thickly.

"But your friends..." he smiles, just the barest hint. "They miss you in a way I rarely see. Your absence is eating them up alive." He tilts his head, eyes sparkling. "Especially the three named Alice, Eliot, and Julia."

Quentin feels like he's been doused with water, breaking him from his shock. He seizes forward and grabs the man by his suit jacket. "You—you saw them?"

The man glances down at his hands, raising an eyebrow. He looks amused at most if not slightly offended. Quentin feels his hands letting go involuntarily, falling back to his lap.

"Do you know what happens, Quentin Coldwater, when you break your MetroCard?"

Quentin smiles, nervously. "No," he admits.

The man grins, showing off rows of perfectly straight, white teeth. "You take a sliver of me with you. It's a way for me to keep track of..." he gently touches Quentin's face, "difficult ones, you see."

Quentin licks his lips. "Right, well." He shrugs, a sharp jerky motion. "I am known to be just that."

"Do you know who I am, Quentin?" he asks, and now he's definitely amused.

Quentin knows that expression too well: Eliot practically _perfected_ the amused, vaguely fond look.

Quentin squints his eyes. He only has to think for a second before the pieces fall together and he curses, quietly, under his breath. "Fuck," he says. "You're ruler of the Underworld," he mutters, more to himself than anything. "Hades."

"I'm glad we're on the same page, then," Hades says, standing. "Because I wish to give you a deal, little human, as thanks for saving all the Old Gods."

Quentin smiles tightly. "You really don't—I mean, it's not like I had a choice. It was save you guys or let the world be destroyed by a monster with a temper tantrum."

"Right, well," Hades raises an eyebrow. "Do you wish to see your friends again or not, Quentin?"

Quentin stiffens, hugging his knees to his chest tighter. "What?" he squeaks.

Because there's no way. His heart thumps loudly in his chest. His palms feel sweaty.

"I'll allow you to go back," Hades says as if it's the most simple thing in the world. "On one condition," he adds after a lingering moment.

Quentin nods. "Yes," he says. "Whatever you want, yes."

Hades laughs sharply. "Don't die again with regrets," he says breezily. "When you get back, make amends. Do what _you_ want for once in your life."

"That's—" Quentin smiles, just a bit. "Surprisingly sweet advice coming from, you know, the God of the Dead. Is it, like, an order or?"

"Hardly," Hade replies easily. "More of a suggestion. Now it was nice meeting you, Quentin, but please next time you come back at least have grey hair."

Quentin opens his mouth to reply, but he doesn't get a chance before everything goes dark and he falls limply to the floor.


	15. fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh i rly like how this chap came out i hope u guys do too

Quentin wakes up in the middle of a forest and groans loudly. First, because did Hades _have_ to drop him in the middle of nowhere? And two, he's in excruciating pain all the way from his head down to his toes. He gasps and sits up, doing a quick spell to help relieve at least a little of the pain and it works. Thank God.

He looks around, squinting. There's nothing really special about these woods. Nothing to help him pinpoint his location, at least.

Reaching out, he presses a hand to a tree and slowly stands.

The pain is still there, but more of a dull ache now—who knew coming back from the dead would hurt so fucking much?

"Hello?" he calls, before realizing that's probably not a smart idea. Not until he knows where he is—for all he knows, he might not even be on Earth.

Quentin slowly walks the forest, using the trees for help. Eventually he sees something—not a person, but a deer off in the distance, eating lazily.

Normally that'd be of no help, but—

"Hey!" he calls sharply, and the deer looks up, tensing, but doesn't run. "Can you, like, talk?"

The deer swallows audibly and nods. "Yes, human, can you?" the deer shoots back, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Quentin doesn't care—he grins toothily. "Fuck yeah."

/

He's in Fillory. Or he's in another world—timeline, place, whatever—where animals can talk. He's hoping it's the former.

Quentin is delighted to realize he's right when he finally reaches the end of the forest and sees the castle. He laughs and falls to the ground. He feels so stupid as he cries, covering his face with his hands.

He's home. He's home.

_Eliot_.

Quentin gasps quietly and pulls his hand from his face, determined to get down there and see his friends already.

He pulls himself back up and starts limping toward the castle. Slow, but steady.

/

Eliot isn't hungry. He hasn't been hungry in days. 

Margo sighs from her spot beside him and squeezes his arm, comforting but firm. "El, baby, you have to eat," she chides softly.

"I know," he mutters quietly, staring at the cup of wine in front of him. Tastes like shit, but gets the job done. He picks it up and takes a sip. "I just—I don't feel good."

"And you think I do?" she replies, but it's not harsh. "I miss him, too, and this—everything is totally unfuckingfair, but we can't kill ourselves grieving."

Eliot tenses, and she immediately pulls away, obviously regretting her choice of words.

"You know I didn't—"

But Eliot is already standing, grabbing his cane. "It's okay, Bambi," he interrupts. "I just... I need some air."

Margo starts to stand, too, but he puts a hand up.

"Alone... preferably," he says quietly.

She hesitates for a long moment before sitting back down gingerly. "Okay," she clears her throat, brushing some face out of her face. "You get some air and cheer up, okay? I miss you, Eliot," she says.

He smiles sadly before leaving the room, his food untouched on his plate. Margo sighs.

/

Eliot stands outside the castle and smiles politely at the guards, lighting a cigarette with a flick of his finger. He sighs and folds his arms across his chest, closing his eyes.  
He doesn't know what to do, but he knows he can't keep going on like this. Like he's a widow, which he is—kind of. But Margo deserves better. 

Eliot reaches up and removes the cigarette from between his lips. It's what Quentin would want for him, too, which is what hurts the most. 

He opens his eyes to stub the cigarette out because frankly he's just not in the mood anymore when he sees it: a row of bushes moving oddly, rustling. Eliot stands up straight and nods to the guards.

One of the guards—a burlier man—nods back and steps forward, drawing his weapon.

Eliot watches closely because he can help if they need it. He's injured, sure, but he's not out of commission entirely. Not anymore, at least.

He raises his hands, leaning the side of the castle for support because he still struggles to move without his cane.

Then a head pokes out from between two of the bushes and the guard readies his weapon, but Eliot yells before he can do anything stupid.

" _Stop!_ " he scrambles forward—his wound burns with enough pain he falls to the ground and grunts, but he doesn't care. He can't take his eyes off him—off Quentin, who's somehow standing there, covered in dirt and leaves.

He wonders briefly if he's dreaming.

The guard looks back at him, confused but obeying.

Quentin stares at him for a long moment before lamely saying:

"Hi."

Eliot swallows thickly, digging his nails into the dirt. "Q, I swear to fucking God this better be you—if this is some weird fucking trick, I am going to—"

He's interrupted by Quentin running forward and dropping to his knees in front of him. "It's me," he says, breathless, hugging Eliot and burying his face in his neck. He laughs wetly. "It's me. It's me. I'm here"

Eliot gasps for air. He suddenly can't remember how to breathe. He buries his face in Quentin's hair—it's dirty and greasy, but God, he doesn't care. He sobs, and Quentin joins him, gently rubbing his back.

"I'm—how?" he asks.

Quentin shrugs weakly. "I guess it just wasn't my time yet."


	16. sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's only one more chapter after this!!

Quentin thinks Eliot might be mad at him—he can't blame him, of course, but it still fucking sucks. They sit around the table—all of them. Everyone's quiet for once in their lives and Quentin _hates_ it.

"I'm—"

Julia throws a hand up, silencing him. "Q, I—I'm so fucking..." she trails off.

"We're all fucking furious at you, Coldwater," Margo says, placing a comforting hand on Julia's back.

Quentin can't help focusing on that—such a simple action, but. He knows long ago Margo never would've done such a thing for Julia. He feels oddly happy.

"You made a decision for yourself," she continues, glaring at him, "that you know none of us would've wanted."

Quentin's brief happiness fades away. He looks down at his hands. "I'm sorry. I—I wasn't thinking. I just... wanted to protect everyone."

"You most certainly were thinking," Alice says and it's the first thing she's said since he got back. Her eyes are fierce but wet, and he feels like utter crap. "You knew exactly what you were doing and I don't want to be angry because I think a lot of us would've done the same thing, but it's different for us."

Quentin stiffens, but he doesn't say anything.

"She's right. We all would've done what you did to protect each other," Julia says, so soft he almost can't hear her, "but it's different because none of us _want_ to die."

He swallows thickly, still saying nothing.

"Quentin," Eliot says, and he finally looks up. Eliot, surprisingly, looks the calmest of any of them and he doesn't know what to do with that. "I don't think you wanted to die," he continues. "I don't think you've wanted to die in a very long time."

He thinks back to being stuck in that stupid white room—he'd had so much time to just... think. Consider all his conflicting memories and feelings. Quentin shrugs weakly, looking away again. 

"I think... a part of me is always going to be... like that," he says, wincing because once again he has no talent for words, "but—but I think..." Quentin looks up—looks at all his friends. They might not all be very good at showing it, but he knows now—more than ever—that they all would die protecting him, too. "I think my want to live outweighs that by, like, a fuck ton."

Julia laughs, once, a little wet and gets up from her chair to hug him. She buries her face in his hair and sobs.

He rubs her back and smiles at everyone a little shakily. "I love you guys."

"We love you, too, Quentin," Alice says, touching the back of his hand softly. 

Kady smirks, but he can tell she's shaken up, too. "Do that again and we'll all leave you next time." It's an obvious lie, but he laughs and nods anyway.

/

Quentin sits on his bed with Alice. He's staring at his feet, she's staring at his face. 

"I'm—"

She smiles sadly and looks away. "It's okay, Quentin," she says. "I want you to be happy. Now more than ever. You—you deserve that."

Quentin nods slowly. "I want you to be happy, too."

"I..." Alice licks her lips. "I think I am—going to be, at least. I... I've been..." When he looks up, she's blushing and he can't help smiling. "Kady and I have been..." she shrugs, trailing off. 

Quentin is—wow. He's missed a lot. But he just smiles wider. "And... you two are happy?"

"Yes," Alice clears her throat. "I think so."

Leaning over, he hugs her. "I love you, Alice."

She kisses his cheek. "I love you, too."


	17. seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's officially over yall i know this fic hasn't been my best work but! i hope yall enjoyed anyway and please look forward to more fics in the future or u can check out my current ongoing fic 'i found love where it wasn't supposed to be' as it still has quite a few chapters left!!

Quentin lingers outside Eliot's door, fidgeting with the hem of his sweater—it's not his, he doesn't think, it's way too big and he doesn't recognize it. He thinks it might be Eliot's, but he's never seen him in it, either, so he's not sure. 

He clears his throat and almost debates turning away when he hears Margo's voice—remembers the conversation they had earlier.

_"He missed you," Margo says, bottom lip trembling. "He missed you so much and for once I couldn't take the pain away."_

_Quentin doesn't know how to reply, so he doesn't._

_"Since we've met, we've always leaned on each other for comfort. It's—it's what we do, but for once there was nothing I could've done to comfort him in your absence." She takes a shaky breath and surprises Quentin with a hug, burying her face in his hair. "I was so scared of losing him, too, Q, please go talk to him."_

_He gently rubs her back. "Okay," he agrees softly._

So now he was here—too scared to actually knock because Eliot joked about him being the brave one but at the end of the day he's nothing more than a coward, too—constantly terrified of breaking things. 

And he doesn't think he can handle breaking what they have—friendship or otherwise. He just needs Eliot to be okay. Needs him in his life in every possible way.

Taking a deep breath, he finally knocks. Nothing happens, and he's not really surprised—Eliot probably doesn't want to see him yet. 

Quentin swallows thickly. He doesn't move, but he also doesn't knock again. Just lingers.

Finally, the door opens and there he is—Eliot in all his glory, but well. Not exactly. He looks like he's aged ten years, weighed down by stress and responsibility. He's dressed in plain clothes, too, nothing like his usual sparkling attire. But somehow, Quentin thinks, he still looks just as beautiful as ever.

"I'm not mad at you," Eliot says, a sudden confession.

Quentin just blinks because well, he'd obviously been avoiding him since their reunion.

"I was trying to..." Eliot clears his throat and steps aside, gesturing for Quentin to come in. "I was just collecting my thoughts—prioritizing what I needed to say."

Quentin lingers in the center of the room as Eliot closes the door and sits on his bed. He smiles sadly. "Peaches and plums, right?" is the first thing he says, and Quentin is so surprised he just gapes at him.

Because okay. Apparently they were doing this. 

"I—" Eliot snorts a little and scoots, patting the spot beside him. "Sit."

Quentin hesitates for just a second before joining him, crossing his ankles. He feels—nervous because for once he has literally no idea what to expect from a man he's gotten so good at reading—predicting, even.

But the monster had taken some of the confidence away from him—always doing the exact opposite of what Eliot would do.

"Do you know why I chose that?" Eliot asks after a moment.

Quentin shrugs weakly. "No?" he answers honestly. He had hoped it meant something, sure, but... he had no way of knowing and false hope had destroyed him so many times before—he wasn't going to go through that again. Not with Eliot.

"We have shared many memorable moments," Eliot continues, peering at him with sparkling eyes. "I didn't have to pick that, did I?"

Quentin swallows around the lump in his throat. "No," he answers quietly. "You didn't."

Eliot nods, smiling softly. "I chose that because—" he closed his eyes, then opened them again "—I loved you, then, Q, when you asked if we could give this—us—a shot." He laughs wetly. "And before you get all worked up, overthinking as you love to do, I still feel the same way. That never changed."

"Oh." Quentin blinks rapidly a few times. "Oh," he repeats, softer. "Fuck."

Eliot grins, a little nervous. "That's not... a yes, Q."

"Oh, oh, oh, right," Quentin stumbles over his words in that adorable way he often does, and Eliot's heart squeezes. "I still do. Love you, I mean."

Eliot looks down at their hands, resting so close to each other. He can feel the heat coming off Quentin's skin. Because he's alive. Eliot almost wants to sob, but he doesn't. He does, however, take Quentin's hand, squeezing. 

"I got back with Alice while you were... gone," Quentin says, kind of killing the moment.

Eliot stiffens. "Right," he drawls, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because he was so sure. Sure that they were going to do this—give themselves a real chance at love. At happiness. But a part of him would always be insecure. 

So, so insecure. 

"I didn't—" Quentin clears his throat. "I didn't love her anymore. Not in... that way," he clarifies. "I just—I was selfish and craving some form of comfort and she was there... and it was wrong of me."

Eliot looks up and relaxes a bit, shoulders slumping. 

"It was wrong of me because," Quentin squeezes Eliot's hand back, gentle but firm, "I was in love with someone else the entire time."

Eliot definitely wants to sob now, and he—embarrassingly—does; a quiet little sound that makes Quentin hug him so, so tight. Eliot buries his face in Quentin's hair and cries, heaving sobs that shake his whole body. Quentin doesn't falter for even a second, rubbing his back in small, comforting circles.

"I love you," Eliot says through a sob. "I love you so, so much. You're so... good."

Quentin pulls away and shakes his head, firmly. "I'm not," he says, quiet. "I'm flawed and selfish, and so are you. But that's okay." He leans forward and presses their foreheads together. "Because we're good _together_ —we bring out the best in each other."

Eliot nods slowly. "We do," he replies softly, smiling warmly. "We really do, huh?"

"We do," Quentin agrees. "Now can you please stop crying and kiss me already?"

Eliot laughs, sharp and wet, before cupping Quentin's face and kissing him, soft and sweet, channeling years—decades—of love and adoration into the one, simple action. Quentin kisses back with a happy sigh and wraps his arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

**FIVE MONTHS LATER**

"God, I wish we hadn't saved you," Margo groans at dinner. "Can you two stop sucking each other's faces for just one minute?"

Quentin pulls away from Eliot, smiling at him with unabashed love before turning to look at Margo. His smiles falters a bit when he sees the sheer look of annoyance on her face. "Sorry," he squeaks.

"Oh, darling," Eliot purrs as he tugs Quentin closer, nipping at his ear. "You know she's just jealous."

Fen frowns from her spot to Margo's left. "I think she has more than enough love," she says confidently. Margo grins and kisses her cheek.

"Yeah," Josh says, sounding ironically just a touch jealous. "She does."

Margo laughs and kisses his cheek, too. "Play nice, you two," she drawls, eyes sparkling.

Eliot thinks it's oddly fitting—Margo tamed not one, but two people to deal with her shit. And the three worked together surprisingly well, somehow. Eliot doesn't question it—whatever makes them happy.

"Somehow," Julia says, "everything worked out for once."

Penny touches her arm, and they share a smile that feels secret. Eliot is happy for them, too.

"Yeah, Q," Kady says, and he's still startled when she uses his nickname, but. It's growing on him—hearing it from her lips. She waggles her eyebrows, a sinister smirk on her face. "Maybe you should disappear more often."

Alice makes a noise in the back of her throat like she's seriously offended and slaps her girlfriend's arm. "Kady," she hisses. "That's so—"

Quentin just laughs. Eliot grins at him, squeezing his hand under the table.

Eliot was happy for all their friends, but most importantly he was happy for _himself_.


End file.
